A Narrow Bridge

Today in shul (synagogue), my father and I overheard a conversation behind us (don't worry it wasn't during davening [prayer]). The person was relating how someone gave him a friendly warning regarding his daughter (or some relative, I didn't fully catch the conversation) attending a certain university here in Canada. Apparently, the tension in the Middle East (read: Israel) has caused the situation to deteriorate on campus here and the person was warning what to expect from Muslim and pro-Palestinian "activists". His suggestion was that she shouldn't attend the university at all and instead attend another one. (Just for the record, no, it is not Concordia in Montreal.) My father, hearing this, got upset. She should be able to attend whatever university she wants to. Why should she be scared off? We have laws in this country. The person was using a "physiological number" on him. My father is 100% correct. Here in Canada, law and order should prevail. The rights of people should be held up. What happened in Concordia was shameful enough. It should never happen here again, on any campus. If someone breaks the law and violates someone's rights they should have the book thrown at them. I know this sounds very basic, but it is amazing how often it is overlooked. A Jew should never be afraid, in 2003, to attend a university in Canada. Or, as I summarized it to my father, Canada should never, ever become France. This incident also reminded me of the documentary of the Rutgers "Pro-Palestine" rally at brain-terminal.com produced by Evan Coyne Maloney. While filming the rally, a person approached him and asked if he was nervous. He asked back, "Why, do I have anything to be nervous about? Is that a threat?" The person wouldn't answer.